


This Strange New Love

by insanity_times_ten



Series: One Day at a Time [2]
Category: Six - Marlow/Moss
Genre: Angst, Children, Cute, F/F, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, lgbtq+, triggers will be mentioned by chapter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:40:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24653998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/insanity_times_ten/pseuds/insanity_times_ten
Summary: Lizzie is 13 and Mae is 8Trigger warning:Periods/Period blood
Relationships: Anne Boleyn/Catherine Parr, Katherine Howard/Anna of Cleves (mentioned)
Series: One Day at a Time [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1782307
Comments: 3
Kudos: 36





	1. Prologue pt. 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lizzie is 13 and Mae is 8  
> Trigger warning:  
> Periods/Period blood

“Mom?” Lizzie calls from the bathroom one day. Anne, expecting her to only need more toilet paper or something of the sort, rushes to the door.  
“What is it, kiddo?”  
“Can you come in here?” Anne opens the door to see Lizzie sitting on the toilet, crying.  
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Anne asks, kneeling down beside her distraught daughter. Lizzie points to her underwear, which are sitting on the floor, crumpled into a ball. Anne unfurls the ball to see a large reddish splotch staining the underwear.  
“Oh, honey.”  
“I’m dying, aren’t I? I’m going to bleed out and die!”  
“Shh, no, you’re not going to die. It’s just your period. Didn’t they give you that talk in health class?”  
“Yeah, but that was three years ago… I don’t remember what they told us.”  
“That’s ok. It’s easy to forget some things.”  
“Can you help me?”  
“Of course, sweetie. I’ll go grab some fresh underwear first, sit tight.” When Anne comes back, she grabs a pad from under the sink. “What you’re gonna do is unwrap this and stick it in the middle of your underwear, like this.” She demonstrates as she instructs. “Then you’re gonna take this little paper thing off and fold the wings down. Got it?”  
“Yeah, I think I do.”  
“‘Kay. Change your pad every 8 hours or so. Do you want me to tell your mama or do you want to tell her?”  
“Can you tell her? I’m gonna tell Collette, she already got hers.”  
“Alright, you go relax or whatever. Don’t psych yourself out.” Anne makes her way downstairs. Cathy is in the kitchen, preparing dinner.  
“Hey, sweetie. How’s your day been?” Cathy asks, pressing a kiss to her wife’s lips.  
“It’s been fine. Lizzie was crying in the bathroom.”  
“Oh my god! Is she okay?”  
“She’s fine, she was just worried ‘cause she got her period. I guess she saw the blood and got scared. She’s talking to Collette now.”  
“That’s good. You had me worried. How is Collette, anyway? We never hear about her anymore.”  
“Lizzie said that she got her period too, so I think that that’s what they’re talking about. I haven’t heard anything other than that, though.”  
“D’you reckon she’s trying to hide something from us? I feel like she’s withdrawing more and more all the time.”  
“I don’t know. I can only hope she’ll tell us whatever it is when she’s ready to.” Just then, Mae walks into the room.  
“Hi, Mom. Mama. What’s for dinner?” she wants to know.  
“I’m making a roast. It’s gonna be a while, though. You can have a snack if you want.” Mae makes her way to the pantry.  
“Oh, Aunt Kat texted me. She wanted me to tell you that she and Aunt Anna are coming over for dinner. They’re bringing Bessie and Maggie as well.” Katherine and Anna had adopted twins the year prior, and the adoption was actually finalized on their fifth anniversary, which was exciting for the couple.  
“Good, good! I’ll make sure to set a couple of extra places,” Cathy says. With their large network of friends and relatives, it is not uncommon for the family to have dinner guests.  
After dinner, while Anne and Cathy clean up, Mae shows Anna a new song she learned on her guitar, and Lizzie chats with Katherine while they try to entertain the twins.  
“Hey Aunt Kat, can I ask you a question?”  
“‘Course you can, Lizzie-Frizzy.” Lizzie giggles at the nickname that Katherine gave her when she was little.  
“When did you know that you liked girls?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Send help, I think I’d die for this family.


	2. Prologue pt. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed what I’m doing with this. Bite me, I dare you.

“Sit. Your mom will be home soon, and then we can talk.” Cathy pushes Lizzie into a chair and then busies herself in the kitchen, looking for hot cocoa mix. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but you’ve barely spoken to anyone for at least the past two days.”  
“Mama, I-“  
Cathy sits next to Lizzie at the table, giving up on her search. “I know, kiddo. It’s hard sometimes, but we’ve gotta talk it out. Your mom and I, we’re worried about you. You just aren’t seeming like your usual self lately.”  
“Guess who just got a job!” Anne bursts into the house a few moments later. She had gone back to college to become a social worker and was on the hunt for employment.   
“That’s great, babe! When do you start?”  
“Next week. I see you’ve corralled the older child down here.”  
“She was actually fairly willing to come out of her room.”  
“Step in the right direction, I guess.” Anne sits down across from Lizzie. “So, what’s going on, kid? Let’s ‘spill the tea,’ if you will.”  
Lizzie buries her face in her hands. “Mom, no. Just no.”  
“Oh, come on. I’m one of those cool moms, aren’t I?”  
“Absolutely not.”  
“Either way,” Cathy butts in, “you’re obviously keeping something from us. We get it if you’re not ready to tell us, but we’ll be here whenever you need someone to lend you an ear.”  
“God, you guys are gonna hate me for keeping this from you for so long-“  
“What? Honey, we could never hate you. We might get a little mad-“  
“Frustrated. Annoyed. Not mad,” Cathy clarifies.  
“-but we will always love and support you.”  
“You promise not to yell at me?” Lizzie extends her little finger.   
Anne takes it. “Pinkie promise.”  
“Mama?”  
“Pinkie promise.”  
“Okay. I would’ve told you earlier, but I just didn’t know how to say it. I...” Lizzie stops and sighs.   
“It’s okay, baby. Take all the time you need,” Anne encourages.   
“I like girls,” she finally blurts. “I don’t know why I was so nervous to tell you guys, I knew you would support me.”  
“Lizzie, we are so proud of you for telling us. You had all the time in the world. Heck, I wouldn’t have cared if you brought a girl home and told us then!” Cathy says.   
“Got your eye on anyone special?” Anne asks.   
“Well, yes. Lordy, this is gonna sound so stupid.”  
“No, it isn’t. What you say matters, and your Mama and I would never pass your words off as stupid.”  
“It’s Collette. I’m in love with my best friend.”  
“What’s so bad about that?” Cathy asks.   
“It’s her dad. He’s, like, super religious. Worse than Aunt Catherine. If we started dating...” she trails off and begins to tremble. “H-he would send her to conversion therapy...he’s...he’s threatened to do it before, she told me so. I-I don’t want her to have to go through that... I feel like such a terrible friend.” She buries her head in her arms.   
Cathy begins to stroke the wild mane that falls over the girl’s face. “It’s okay, baby, let it all out. You’re not a terrible friend, you feel what you feel. You’ve gotta learn to accept that.”  
“I-I know, but... you and Mom never had any problems like this when you were dating!”  
“Yes, we did. We just don’t talk about it because we prefer to remember the happy moments. People called us all sorts of names and threatened nasty things. You’ll experience that too, I wish you wouldn’t have to.”  
Lizzie sniffles and lifts her head. “Yeah, me too. Pardon my language, but I just wish people would grow the fuck up. Why can’t we all just love who we want to love? I don’t care what people do as long as they’re happy.”  
Cathy looks at Anne. “I think we’ve got a future activist on our hands.”  
“Lizzie, honey, have you thought about how you’re going to tell Collette?” Anne asks.  
“No. I was hoping you could help me with that.” 

The next day at school, Lizzie slips a note into her friend’s locker, instructing Collette to meet her on the playground behind the school. “I have something important to tell you,” it reads.   
That night, Lizzie waits on the swings for her to show up. There is a blanket spread on the ground as well, just in case Collette would rather sit on the ground.   
“Hey, hey, hey!” Collette waves. “You said you’ve got something to tell me?”  
“Yep. Grab a swing. Unless you want to sit on the ground?”  
“Ooh, you know I love sitting on the ground.” It’s true, she does. The two girls move to the blanket and Collette immediately lays down. Lizzie on the other hand hugs her knees to her chest. “So. What is it?”  
“Well, uh, I’ve been thinking...and...I think I like you.”  
“Aw, Liz, thanks! I like you too!”  
“No, no, no. I think I like-like you.”  
“Oh.” Collette pauses. “Oh. You know...”  
“Yeah, I do. That’s why I was so scared to tell you.”  
“I mean, he’s got a new girlfriend, she’s trying to convince him it’s okay to be...like that.”   
Lizzie senses her discomfort. “Listen. You don’t have to if you don’t want to, but I’d like to take you out sometime. For ice cream, or something.”  
“Liz, I’d love to, but...” Collette begins to toy with her hair. “I just...I don’t think...I...I have to go.” She stands and runs back the way she came.   
Lizzie sits there, shocked, then pulls out her phone and calls Cathy.  
“Hey baby!” Cathy says cheerfully when she picks up.   
“Hey, Mama, can you come get me?”  
“Yeah, I’ll be right there. Are you okay?”  
“I am, but I’m not so sure about my dignity.”   
“I’m on my way.” The call ends. Sure enough,  
about two minutes later, Cathy pulls up in the family’s minivan. “You wanna talk about it?” Lizzie shakes her head. “Ok, that’s ok. I’ve got a couple things to pick up at the store, then we can go home and you can talk to someone or just go to bed. Whatever you want.”  
Lizzie sighs. “Thanks.”  
There is a short silence before Cathy says, “You wanna know something?”  
“Sure.”  
“I met your mom in a coffee shop while I was working on my final paper for college.”  
“What does that have to do with anything?”  
“I’m just saying that love can come to you out of nowhere. Be patient.”  
“Ok.” Another pause. “D’you think Aunt Kat can come over?”  
“I don’t know, honey, it’s getting kinda late. But I’ll see. Why don’t you call her?”  
Lizzie takes Cathy’s phone and calls Katherine. “Hey, Aunt Kat.”  
“Hey kiddo! What’s up?”  
“I know it’s late, but can you come over? I need someone to talk to.”  
“Hold on one sec, let me check with Anna. We just got the twins to sleep.” There is a pause as Katherine asks her wife to watch over Maggie and Bessie. “She said she’d make sure they don’t wake up. I’ll be there in twenty minutes if traffic is good.”  
“Thank you. See you then.” Lizzie hangs up.  
Practically right after Cathy and Lizzie are inside the door, Katherine comes to a screeching halt in the driveway.   
“I told you I’d be here. You ready to talk?” she asks  
“Yeah.”  
“Awesome. You go get two spoons, I’ll head up to your room.”  
Lizzie is glad that Katherine is always willing to talk to her. She feels like they can share secrets that she can’t tell Cathy and Anne. And, as far as she knows, Katherine never tells anyone else about their talks.   
Lizzie fetches the spoons from a drawer and goes up the stairs to her room. Katherine is already seated on the floor, two containers of ice cream (rocky road for Lizzie, strawberry for herself) and a box of tissues in front of her.   
“Alright,” Katherine says once Lizzie joins her on the floor. “Out with it.”   
“So I told you about my crush, right?”  
“Yeah, it’s that Collette girl, isn’t it?”  
“Yep. Well, I confessed my feelings to her today, and I think I scared her off.”  
“She’s the one with the homophobic dad?”  
Lizzie nods. “She told me he’s got a new girl who’s trying to convince him that gay people are good.”  
“Okay. What else did she say?”  
“When I asked her if she wanted to go get ice cream together sometime, she was like ‘I have to go.’ and then she ran away.”  
“Alright, kiddo. I know rejection hurts, but I’ve gotta give you the cold hard truth here. This was your first love. There will be other people. You’ll find someone, I’m sure of it.”  
“But...but why her? Why was she the one to reject me? She’s my best friend!” Lizzie is starting to cry now.   
Katherine puts her arm around Lizzie’s shoulders. “It’s okay, babe. Let it out. I’m here if you need me.” Lizzie leans into her aunt’s touch.   
“I just...”  
“It’s okay. You need to take your mind off of things. Come to my house after school on Friday.”  
That’s two days away. “I think I can wait till then. Thanks, Aunt Kat.”  
“Hey, it’s no problem. Text me if you need anything. Get some sleep, it’ll do you good.” Katherine turns the light out as she leaves, taking the rest of the ice cream with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The actual story starts next chapter, I promise.


	3. It’s been forever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GIANT TIME SKIP-LIZZIE IS 18
> 
> POV SWITCH-LIZZIE’S POV

I stumble onto the quad. My first day of college classes, and I‘m already running late. I had spilled coffee onto my blouse and needed to completely change my outfit. My hair is starting to stick to my neck- for goodness sakes, it’s September! Why does it have to be so hot? Okay, I’m already squinting because it’s so darn bright out here, but is that who I think it is?

“Collette?” I yell out, not expecting an answer.

“Liz?” I hear the girl yell back. Holy crap. She runs toward me, clutching her laptop to her chest.

“Oh my god, I thought I’d never see you again! How’ve you been?” I say when she reaches me. Her dad had forced her to go to a different high school than me.

“I’ve been good. Moved out of my dad’s house this summer.”

“No way, really?”

“Yeah, and get this: right as I was about to leave, I turned to him and said ‘Dad, I’m a lesbian, and there’s nothing you can do about it.’”

“Good for you.”

“Yeah, thanks. Anyway, what’s up with you?”

“Oh, not much. Mae’s in eighth grade this year.”

“She’s that old already? How’s she doing?”

“She wrote a song, Ms. Mouat- do you remember her?”

“Ha, yep. She hated me.”

“Did not. Anyway, she’s trying to get Mae to sing it at the fall showcase but Mae’s too scared.”

“Aw, maybe you can go see her perform? Having a friendly face in the crowd might help her relax.”

“I seriously doubt the school will let me go home for a Wednesday night. We’re too far away anyway.”

Collette shrugs. “It was an idea.”

“Yep. I’d better get going, I’m gonna completely miss my first class.”

“Alright, you go be smart. Maybe we can grab lunch together?”

“That’d be great. I’ve got a break in classes from 12:30 to one, if that works for you.”

“I will be at the diner across the street from the theatre building at 12:15.” “Sounds good!” I jog off to my biology class. Collette seems to have really changed, even though she hasn’t grown an inch since junior high. The top of her head just barely reaches my chin.

We have another chance to catch up at lunch. “So,” I say, “what’re you studying?”

“I’m doing journalism with a minor in music.”

“Nice. That’s what my mom did.”

“How about you?”

“I’m in the nursing program.”

“Ooh, cool! Any certain field you’re eyeing?”

“I was thinking labor and delivery, but neonatal care and pediatrics also sound interesting.”

Our food comes just then, a salad for Collette and a grilled chicken sandwich for me. “Oh, yeah, forgot to mention I’m a vegetarian.”

“That’s different. Since when?”

“About a year now. The funny thing is- I don’t miss meat at all.”

“God, I don’t know what I’d do without my aunt Catherine’s paella valenciana. She makes it whenever I go over to her house.”

“You just kinda...learn to live without it.”

There’s a long pause as I eat my sandwich. Collette only picks at her meal. “Listen, Liz...” She sighs. “Since I came out, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about what I did that night on the playground. Did you ever forgive me for leaving like that?”

“I mean, I’ve been in a few relationships since then, if that’s what you’re asking. Nothing longer than a couple months though.”

“Aw, that sucks. But, if you’re single as a Pringle and ready to mingle...” She trails off, chuckling a bit.

“Are you suggesting that we...”

“Very much so, yes.”

“Collette, you have no idea how long I’ve wanted to be your girlfriend.”

“Well? Are you gonna give me an answer?”

“Yes, of course, obviously...do you want more than that?”

“No, no, three is enough. You and your big brain are obviously gonna be a lot to handle.”

“We’re a fun lot, my brain and I...oh my goodness, I’ve gotta get going!” I stand up from the table and nearly fall over.

“Woah, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good. My foot just fell asleep, that’s all. Anyway, I’ve got a class in about five minutes, let me know how much I owe you-“

“Nonsense. I’ve gotta make up all these years to you somehow!”

“Fine, but I get the bill next time. And I’m bringing you home with me for Christmas.”

“You’re impossible.”

“I know you love my family.”

She sighs. “You’re right, I do.”

“It’s hard not to. See you later!”

“See ya, babe,” she says with a wink. It’s hard for me not to melt into a puddle on the floor right then, but somehow I manage. I mean, the girl (or rather woman) of my dreams just called me “babe,” what do you expect?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I needed poor Lizzie to be happy again, I hate to see characters be depressed. 
> 
> Paella valenciana consists of round grain rice, bajoqueta and tavella (varieties of green beans), rabbit, chicken, sometimes duck, garrofó (a variety of lima or butter bean), and optionally snails. Artichoke hearts and stems may be used as seasonal ingredients. Olive oil is used as a base, while saffron and (sometimes) whole rosemary branches are used as seasoning.


	4. I thought we were forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our good friend Angst is deciding to make an appearance today!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I’m still alive! You wouldn’t believe the insane writers block I’ve been having lately, but a wave of ideas hit me like a bus at about 5 am today, so we’re back!

I storm into Collette’s apartment. “You wanna tell me anything?” I ask her. 

“Liz, babe, what do you mean?” she replies. 

“Oh, it’s nothing- if you count my roommate telling me that she saw you hitting on a girl at the bar as ‘nothing!’”

“Liz, no, that’s not-”

“It’s not what it sounds like? Well, what if someone else told me that you’ve been sleeping around with all sorts of girls?”

“Liz, what I’m trying to say is-”

“What? What are you trying to say? Because it sounds to me like you’re trying to say you would rather not be with me?”

“Liz...”

“Not to mention, of course, I’ve already told my moms that you’ll be joining us for the holidays and they are really excited to see you...”

“If you would just-“

“And Mae...oh, Mae is gonna be so disappointed...”

“Elizabeth!” I jerk to attention at the sound of my full name. “If you would just listen to me for one fucking second instead of only caring about your goddamn self, maybe you would understand,” Collette sneers. “Do you know what happens to a person when they get drunk?”

“You shouldn’t have been in that bar in the first place!”

“You’re not listening! Answer my question: do you or do you not know what happens to a person when they get drunk?” After allowing me time to think, she speaks up again. “Two words: impaired judgement. Now, do you know what that means?”

“Yeah, it means that you aren’t entirely aware of the decisions you’re making.”

“Great. So now, maybe you’ll understand why I did what- or who, but that’s none of your business- I did.”

“So, you’re not mad at me?”

“Depends. Are you still mad at me?”

“Of course I am! Collette, you’re supposed to be mine!”

“Liz-”

“No. I’m done.” I turn to walk out the door. 

“Liz, wait!” Collette grabs me by the collar. 

“Why should I? You’re just gonna go hook up with some girl down the hall! If you didn’t want to be my girlfriend anymore, you could have just said something.” I run a hand through my hair, and Collette catches it. 

“Liz. Let’s sit down. Maybe then you won’t be so tense.” She guides me to the sofa and takes my other hand. “Now, talk me through your feelings, but don’t yell.”

“Well, first off, I feel hurt.”

“And why is that?”

“Well, you’re supposed to be my girlfriend. It’s us, not me and you and everyone else. And it hurts that you’re doing things with strangers that you haven’t done with me!”

“I know, and I’m sorry for that. I wanted to play the field, I don’t like feeling tied down. Besides, I was trying to take it slow for your sake. I didn’t think you just wanted to jump right into this. What else are you feeling?”

“I’m mad. Not just because you went behind my back. Not just because you had your first time with someone else. It’s also because you broke the law. You’re eighteen-”

“Nineteen,” she corrects me. 

“Okay, you’re nineteen, but the drinking age is 21! You could have gotten lots of people in trouble, from yourself to the people who made your drinks. That doesn’t make me feel good.”

“Liz. I’m so, so sorry-” 

“Sorry doesn’t fix the fact that you got a fake ID.”

“Listen, I’ll get rid of it. I’ll do anything. I just want the old you back. The you that went to parties with me instead of studying ahead. The you that surprised me with overpriced pretzels at the food court just to see me smile. I didn’t feel tied to that Liz.”

“Collette. You know I love you, and it breaks my heart to hear that you went behind my back and that you got a fake ID, but it hurt me both physically and mentally to hear that you feel tied down when you’re with me. I want you back as well. I just don’t know if I can trust you anymore, though.” 

“Liz, didn’t you hear what I just said? You were so fun to be with, but then November rolled around and you just... changed. I loved the version of you I had in September. Why did you change?”

“I don’t know. I think it was stress.”

“Well, whatever it was, you need to get rid of it. It’s affecting our relationship.” 

“It’s not just me. You’re clearly not ready for a serious relationship. I’m leaving.”

“Liz, wait!”

“No! I’m done waiting. You’ve betrayed my trust, and now I’m leaving. Goodbye, Collette.” I grab my purse from where I left it on the coffee table and slam the door behind me.


	5. Maybe it is forever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey hey! It’s been a hot minute since I’ve gotten anything done for this fic but oh well.  
> Quick TW, somebody comes real close to cutting themselves in this chapter.

I walk into the library. When I get to the section I need, I spy a familiar face smeared with mascara in the corner. The fact that she broke my heart doesn’t mean I can’t still be nice to her, right?

“Hey, Collette,” I say, sitting down next to her. “You… wanna tell me what’s up?”

“I just got dumped over a text,” she says, her voice devoid of any emotion.

“Hm, now I guess you know how I felt when you ripped my heart out of my chest and stomped on it,” I shrug. 

“Liz, I said I was sorry!”

“You know what? I forgive you.” 

Collette’s eyes widen. “Really?”

“Yep. It’s not easy for me to stay mad at anyone, especially not my childhood best friend.”

“Oh, okay. Well then… d’you think you can give me another shot? Cause I really want you back. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

I think for a while. “Sure,” I say, “but if I hear anything about you and someone else, I may have to kill you.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s fair.” We sit in silence for a while, then Collette speaks up again. “This is gonna sound really stupid, but… can I kiss you? I know you’re not a fan of taking things too quickly-” I cut her off with exactly what she wants. When we pull away, she touches a finger to her bottom lip. “Christ, Liz,” she breathes, “that was… great. I had no idea you were such a good kisser!” 

“I’m actually a bit rusty…” I say. I give her a small kiss on the cheek and get up. “Anyway, you’ve managed to make me forget what I came in here for.”

“Should I take that as a compliment or an insult?”

“Whichever helps you sleep at night.”

“Speaking of sleeping…maybe with someone...” She winks at me. 

“Collette, no. I’m sorry, but I’m just not ready. I promise I’ll come over sometime, though.”

“You had better. I’ve been learning to cook… maybe dinner and a movie at my place?”

“Hmm, that depends. What’s on the menu?”

“Well, I found this really good recipe for eggplant parmesan. I think you would like it.”

“I would definitely give it a try.” I take a look at the clock. 10:30. “Oh, no, I’m gonna be late...again! I’ll see you later, then.” I adjust my bag on my shoulder and power-walk out of the library.

I’m working on transferring notes from one of my notebooks to another when my phone starts buzzing. Its screen displays an unfamiliar number, and I pick up. I had deleted Collette’s number from my phone after our breakup, so I kind of thought it was her.

“Hello?” I say.

“I’ve been trying to reach you about your car’s extended warranty-” I hang up before the person on the other end can even get through a full sentence. 

Later that night, after I’ve eaten dinner and am peacefully scrolling through social media, a text pops up on my phone.  _ hey this is collette can u come over?  _ it reads. 

_ Yeah,  _ I text back,  _ just let me grab a jacket and some shoes.  _ I don’t wait for a reply to grab what I need and rush out the door. My roommate gives me a weird look when I run back in, muttering to myself about needing my purse, but I don’t pay her any attention. I get in my car and drive to Collette’s apartment, because walking alone in a college town at eleven o’clock at night is Not a Good Idea™. 

When I get to Collette’s place after what seems like an eternity, I try to open the door, expecting it to be locked. However, it opens right away. I call out for Collette, and it isn’t long before I hear crying coming from somewhere in the apartment. I follow the sound to the bathroom and am met with another closed door. I knock a few times, but when nobody opens the door, I walk through it and into the bathroom. Curled up on the tile floor is Collette, holding an exacto knife and shaking with sobs. 

“Oh my god, Collette, no!” I yell, I pry the blade out of her trembling hand, pick her up, and carry her to her bed. I lay her down and check her arms for any signs of a fresh cut or blood. I check her legs as well and find nothing. I push her up and sit behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist. She leans her head against my chest.

“Hey, do you feel like talking?” I whisper to Collette.

“No,” she replies.

“Okay. You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to.” I shift a little bit to give my legs more room, since they are starting to feel cramped.

“You moved!” Collette whines. “I was comfy the way we were.”

“Well, I wasn’t. If you’d rather, we can lay down and resume our cuddle session.” Collette nods, so I move to the right, holding her shoulders up until I’m completely out from behind her, then lower her down slowly. I slide under the blankets before pulling them up around Collette as well. I lay my arm over Collette’s waist.

“Closer,” she whispers. I move a few inches towards her and pull her close to compensate for the remaining distance. I tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear and drape my arm across her body again. I fall asleep with my lips pressed to the crown of her head. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluff! Cuddles!  
> Is Collette committing to a relationship or will she break poor Lizzie’s heart again?


	6. I’ll stay by you forever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s been a hot minute since I’ve updated this one, but I think I’m finally getting back up to speed, so (maybe) expect more regular updates. Yay!  
> Also quick tw this goes back and revisits what happened in chapter 5. Prepare yourself accordingly!

When I wake up and move a curtain of hair away from my face, the first thing I notice is that I’m not in my dorm. As I study the room, the events of last night slowly come back to me. One thought comes to me clearly:  _ Collette.  _ She’s not in bed with me. However, I get a very good idea of where she is when the blender starts running.

Collette turns the blender off as soon as my feet hit the tile floor. “Morning, sunshine!” she chirps. “How’d you sleep?”

“Considering that not an hour before I fell asleep I came in here and found you curled up on the bathroom floor, I’d say pretty well.” Collette nods. “How about you?” I ask.

“With my eyes closed.”

I roll my eyes at her. “Seriously?”

“Yes, seriously. Unless you’re asking about the quality of my sleep, in which case I would say ‘great.’”

“You, my darling, are exasperating,” I say, hugging her from behind and stealing a quick kiss before sitting down at the table. “So, what’s for breakfast?”

“Well, I’m making a smoothie for myself, but I can make something for you real quick. What do you usually have for breakfast?”

“Uhhh… an energy bar, most of the time.” 

Collette moves to a cabinet and opens a box of Larabars. “These okay?” she asks before tossing one to me. 

“Yeah. Do you have any apple cider vinegar?”

“Nope. I’ve got plenty of tea and coffee, though.” She shrugs. “Sorry.”

“No, no, it’s fine. I’ll have some tea.”

“Coming right up!” Collette bustles about the kitchen, getting out this and that. A few minutes later, she sets a mug of tea in front of me. She pours herself a glass of her smoothie and finally sits down. 

“So,” she begins. 

“So?” I laugh.

“So, I never got to say thank you. For staying last night.”

“I guess you’re lucky that today’s a Saturday, otherwise I would have gone back to the dorms at some point. Do you wanna talk about what happened?”

“No, I really don’t. What matters is that you came and literally picked me up off the floor.”

“Collette, my darling, my dear, I don’t think you quite understand. What I saw last night gives me reason to believe something is going on in your head that you’re not telling me about. I want so much to be able to trust you again, and I truly think you’ve changed, but you need to keep going. I think we just need to be more open and honest with each other from here on out. Can you do that for me?”

“Yeah. But I still don’t want to talk about what happened. Not right now, anyway.”

I put a hand on her shoulder. “That’s okay. I want you to tell me if you need anything, though. I care about you.”

“I know.” We’re silent for a while as we finish breakfast.

“I’m gonna go take a shower,” Collette announces, getting up from the table. “You could join me, you know. It’d save water.”

“No,” I say firmly. Collette makes a pleading face at me. “Okay,” I sigh. “But don’t you dare try anything. I’m still not ready for that.”

“Alright, that’s fine. I trust you to tell me when you are ready, though.”

“Sure I will. I do see a problem with this, though. I don’t have any extra clothes.”

“And I can fix that. The washer is right in this closet. You can toss your clothes in there.”

“Great.” I wait until Collette is in the bathroom to get undressed. I throw a Tide pod into the washing machine along with my clothes.

After a fairly awkward shower (today was not a wash day and Collette didn’t have a shower cap, so most of the time I was just trying not to get my head wet), Collette and I curl up together on the couch, my legs wrapped around her waist and her head against my chest.

“This is nice,” Collette says after a while, breaking the comfortable silence we had settled into. 

I wind a strand of her hair around my finger then release it, watching it untwist. “What, the cuddles?” I ask.

“No. Well, yes, I do like it, but I meant having you here. Not being alone. You know what I mean?”

“Vaguely, yes. I wasn’t ever really alone growing up, I always had you, Mae, my moms, my aunts and cousins… the list goes on. But I know the feeling of being alone, and that really sucks.”

Collette nods against my chest. “I wish it was always like this.”

“Are you asking me to move in with you?”

“I think I am, yeah. You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“I’m going to make you a deal here, okay? Whenever you tell me what was going on last night, I’ll start thinking about moving in. It doesn’t have to be right now, I understand if you need time to process it.”

“No, no, I think I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Then go ahead. I’m all ears.”

Collette takes a breath. “My mental health really took a hit after you broke up with me. Yesterday, when I got home, all I could think about was not letting you down again. I really don’t know what happened before I completely snapped, but one thing led to another and I found myself standing in front of the bathroom mirror with that knife in my hand…” She starts to cry, breaking away from me and wiping at her eyes with the neck of her shirt. “I-I have no idea w-what I was thinking. I didn’t end u-up doing anything, b-but still…” 

I cup one of her cheeks in my hand. “Hey, shhh, it’s okay. I’m gonna help you through this. You need me right now, so I’m gonna be here. No questions asked.”

Collette sniffles. “You really mean that?”

“‘Course I do. I love you. Last night isn’t going to change that. I’m gonna go text my aunt, you sit tight.” I get up from the couch and grab my phone off the table.

_ Hey, you have time to chat?  _ I text Aunt Kat.

_I’m always free to talk to you,_ she replies almost immediately.

_ Not me, someone else. _

_ I can call in about five minutes. Get some ice cream ready.  _

I go to the freezer to see what kind of ice cream Collette has. After a fair amount of searching, I spot a half-gallon tub of cookies and cream, which will have to do for today. I take that out and grab two spoons.

“Oh no,” Collette says, “she’s got ice cream. This can only mean one thing…”

My phone rings, and I sprint over to the couch before answering it.

“Aunt Kat!” Collette and I say at the same time. 

“Hey girls!” Aunt Kat says with a wave. “I’m the only one here right now, Maggie and Bessie are at school until Anna gets off work. We’ve got room to let loose. So, what’s up?”

“Well,” I say,” Collette and I are back together-” Aunt Kat claps- “but there was… an incident last night. I think Collette is better suited to tell you about it.”

“Alright. Collette, whenever you’re ready. Don’t tell me anything you’re not comfortable saying.” Collette repeats her story, not bursting into tears this time but obviously very close. Aunt Kat is silent for a while, so long that I think the connection has gone bad. Finally, just as I’m about to hang out, she finally speaks up.

“Okay. As Lizzie’s aunt and  _ finally _ a certified psychiatrist, I have some ideas that should work for both of you. Collette, you may want to start journaling. I know that’s really helped both myself and Anna in the past. It makes you think about your feelings and recognize them before they get too overwhelming. I don’t want you to have to keep everything bottled up. Remember, you can talk to Lizzie or even me about anything, okay?” Collette nods. “Now, Lizzie. I want you to pay close attention to Collette over the next few weeks. Don’t smother her, but if she seems off, make sure you address it. And if she starts talking to you about her mental health, I want you to make sure you listen. I know you, you don’t always think about others first. Take this as an opportunity to change that. You guys got this. Let me know how it’s going every so often.”

“Thank you, Aunt Kat. You have no idea how much it means to me that I’ve now got two people to talk about this stuff with,” Collette says.

“Hey, it’s no problem. Now, what time is it there?”

I glance at the clock. “Almost five.”

“Alright. Lizzie, let Collette be a little lazy tonight, I would suggest maybe ordering pizza sometime soon and watching a movie. Get to bed at a decent time tonight, both of you. Sounded to me like you had a long night.”

“We did. Thanks again for everything. See you later!” Aunt Kat waves and I hang up the phone. “Now, what kind of pizza do you want?” I ask.

“Hmm... I usually just get a salad, but I think I’ll have a regular cheese pizza. Quick question, though.”

”Yeah?”

”Does this mean you’re moving in?”

”I guess so. I’ll have to let my RA know, and I’ll start bringing my stuff over as soon as possible.”

Collette gives me a hug. “Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Cute stuff! Angst! All of the things!


	7. A Promise of Forever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you really think I would abandon you guys like that?   
> soooo.... this work’s done, would you guys want to see more of Lizzie and Collette? 
> 
> a couple clarifications!  
> this takes place approximately four and a half years after chapter 6.   
> a dog named Winston is mentioned a couple times, he’s the dog Collette got Lizzie for her birthday a year or two before this chapter. he was GONNA have his own chapter but I lost motivation on that one.

Collette spies a bench and races over to it, leaving me to pull Winston away from the tree. Once I arrive next to her, having scooped up Winston to save time, she speaks up. 

“Liz, there’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time,” she says.

“Alright, what is it?” I ask, genuinely curious.

“Well, I want to do this…” She gets down on one knee and pulls a small velvet-covered box from her jacket pocket.

“Oh my god…” I murmur, a lump rising at the back of my throat.

“And, uh, here’s what I want to say: Elizabeth Boleyn-Parr, you are the love of my life. I have faced so much just to be here with you, and I couldn’t bear the thought of sharing my life with anyone else. Just us, today, tomorrow, and forever.” She pauses. “So, what do you think?”

“That was beautiful,” I choke, holding back a wave of tears.

“Well, then, Liz, will you marry me?” She pops the box open, revealing a simple ring with a modestly sized diamond.

I let myself cry. “Yes,” I whisper, throwing my arms around her neck. “Absolutely, yes. I love you, Collette.”

“I love you too, Liz.”

I sniffle. “We should call my moms.”

“Don’t you want to wait until we get home?”

“No. I’ve gotta tell them now.” I pull out my phone and FaceTime Mama, figuring I have the best chance of getting through to her. Sure enough, she answers. She sees me crying and nearly goes insane right then.

“Oh my god, Lizzie, are you okay? Where are you? Is anyone with you?” she asks frantically, not stopping to breathe between questions.

“Relax, Mama, I'm fine. I’m in the park with Collette and Winston. We’ve got some exciting news for you. Is everyone else around?”

“Mae’s out with her friends right now, but I think your mom is here. Let me go check.” She walks around a corner. “Annie? It’s Lizzie on the phone. She says she’s got news.” There is a huge clatter and the sound of at least two chairs scraping against the floor before Mom appears on my screen. 

“You guys may wanna sit down for this,” I say. Mom makes a  _ this can’t be good  _ face at Mama, who shrugs. They move to the couch. “You get three guesses before I tell you, but I’m not telling you whether you’re right or wrong.”

“You’re getting another dog,” Mom guesses.

“You’re coming home next weekend?” Mama tries.

“You’re pregnant?” Mom asks, her voice full of disbelief.

“Anne, honey, she’s in a healthy relationship with another girl,” Mama reasons. “How could she be pregnant?”

Mom shakes her head, laughing at herself. “You never know. Anyway, those were our three guesses. Tell us!”

“Well,” I begin, putting my arm around Collette and pulling her into frame, “this wonderful woman has just asked for my hand in marriage.”

“And..?” Mama asks, both her and Mom looking as impatient as ever.

“I said yes!” I hold up my left hand to show off the shiny ring.

“Oh, Lizzie, this is great!” Mama exclaims, while Mom sits back on the couch, her mouth hanging open in a stunned silence. 

“And I promise I’ll come home as soon as I can. Just… don’t go around telling everyone, okay? I’m gonna text Mae and tell her, and I’ll tell everyone else next time I’m home.”

“We’ll try our best. You had better visit soon, though. You know how bad we are at keeping secrets.”

“I’ll let you know the next time I have a few days off. All I know right now is that I don’t have any time off this week.”

“Okay. We’ll see you soon, though, I’m sure.” Mama ends the call.

Collette puts her arm around my shoulders and squeezes. “And so begins the rest of our lives,” she sighs.

“Wouldn’t want it any other way.” Not two minutes later Winston is standing at the base of a nearby tree, having found another squirrel. 

“Well,” Collette says, “that was nice while it lasted.”

“You’ve got that right.” I stand and go to pick Winston up. “Come on, buddy, can’t you just let us have our moment?” I tease. 

“He’s getting a little wound up. Why don’t we take him home and have some ice cream to celebrate?”

“Sounds good to me. I’ve gotta text Mae before Mama can tell her.”

  
  


**Lizzie:** *picture attached*

**Mae:** ooooo pretty

**Mae:** HOLY SHIT WAIT

**Mae:** there’s no way

**Lizzie:** Yeah there is…

**Lizzie:** *picture attached*

**Mae:** ewwwwwww pda

**Lizzie:** Shut up!

**Mae:** make me

**Lizzie:** I’ll tell Mama you cursed.

**Mae:** i’ll tell her you sent me that picture 

**Lizzie:** >>:(

**Mae:** anyway when r u coming home

**Lizzie:** Don’t know yet. We have to fly home, and I don’t have more than two consecutive days off this week. Maybe next week.

**Mae:** cool

**Mae:** aunt kat says hi btw

**Mae** she wants u to call her sometime soon

**Lizzie:** Well, hopefully I can see her in person soon.

**Mae:** yeah 

**Mae:** oops g2g cya later

  
  


———————

  
  


A few days later, I walk into the apartment with a smile on my face. “Alright,” I say, “you’re never going to guess what I did today.”

“What did you do today?” Collette asks.

“I managed to switch around shifts with another nurse. I’ve got four days off in a row now, starting tomorrow. I have to do a couple double shifts when we get back, but that’s okay.”

“Hold on. You said ‘when we get back.’ Where’re we going?”

“We’re going home. The flight leaves in three hours. That gives us around an hour to pack. Make sure you bring something nice. There’s gonna be a lot of picture-taking, I can almost guarantee it.”

“What are we gonna do with Winston? He can’t come with us on such short notice!”

“Joan from down the hall said she’d take him out twice a day and make sure he’s got food and water. Now let’s get packing!” I run into the bedroom and pull the big suitcase off of the shelf in the closet. The first thing I put in the case is my favorite floral sundress, followed closely by a few pairs of pants, some t-shirts, and a sweater. Collette similarly wastes no time in packing, gathering her toiletries and makeup first, then moving on to clothes. 

Thanks to our quick packing skills, we are off to the airport with plenty of time to spare. Once we are on the plane, I pull out my phone to text my family.

**Lizzie:** *picture attached*

**Cathy:** !!!

**Cathy:** You’re coming home!?!?

**Anne:** I thought you didn’t have time off this week

**Lizzie:** I pulled a few strings. I’ll explain later. About 15 minutes till takeoff.

**Cathy:** I can’t wait to see you honey!

**Mae:** wait hold on she’s coming home

**Lizzie:** I can’t wait to see you guys either!

**Lizzie:** Yes, I’m coming home.

**Mae:** cool

**Anne:** Cath do you want me to tell everyone or are you going to

**Cathy:** I can tell them.

**Mae:** aren’t u guys in the same room

**Cathy:** Yes. 

**Anne:** Yeah

**Mae:** then y don’t u actually talk to each other 

**Cathy:** Because we’re grown adults and we can do what we want. Are you done with your homework?

**Mae:** no

**Cathy:** Then get off your phone and do it.

**Mae:** fineeeeeee

**Lizzie:** About to take off. See you guys in a couple hours!

——————

“Well, Collette, are you excited?” I ask about halfway through the flight.

“Of course I am! It’s been so long since I’ve seen any of your family.”

“Liar, you saw them at graduation. Anyway, don’t you think we should move closer to home?”

“We’ll see.” Collette moves as close to me as her seatbelt allows, touching her forehead to mine. “I love you so much. You know that, right?”

“Yeah. You say it every day.”

“Well, it’s true,” she says before kissing me softly. I pull away, tears stinging at my eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh, it’s… it’s nothing,” I lie.

“No, it’s not. You look sad. Tell me what’s going on.”

“Fine.” I sigh. “Sometimes I just think about how things could’ve turned out. It’s not something I do on purpose, it just… happens.”

“You don’t need to worry about it anymore. I’m here.”

“I know. Please don’t let me leave again.”

“I won’t, I promise.” Collette gives me a quick kiss on the cheek as the captain announces that we are beginning our descent into Denver.  _ Home _ , I think.

——————

As soon as we walk out of the bag claim area, I am attacked from all sides by my family. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Collette snap a picture. I stick my tongue out at her. 

“We missed you,” Mama says when the three of them finally release their grip on me. 

“Like, a lot,” Mom adds. I notice Mae standing wordlessly off to the side.

“Mae, it’s nice to see you again!” I attempt. “How does it feel to finally be a senior?”

She shrugs. “Okay, I guess. Not really all that different from being a junior.”

“What classes are you planning on taking next year?”

“AP Calc, Physics, Graphic Design. Probably French. Gonna take chorus again if I have the time.”

“Sounds like fun! Senior year is a good time to try new things. You’ve got most of your credits already, right?”

“Yeah. Math, science, and English are the only ones I’m missing anything from.”

“What English class are you gonna take? I didn’t hear you say anything about that.”

“Most likely British Lit. You said you liked it.”

“Yeah, Ms. Croft is a good teacher. You’ll like her.”

Collette taps me on the shoulder. “Sorry to interrupt the nerd-fest, but we should get going. It’s already 10:30.”

“Yeah, you’re right. C’mon, Mae.” I hold out both hands. Collette takes one, and Mae the other.

——————

The next day, Collette and I wake up to see two plates of pancakes sitting on the bedside table. After eating, we head downstairs, where we see Aunt Kat, Anna, Maggie, and Bessie waiting in the living room. “I’m gonna go put on pants,” Collette whispers to me, turning back around at the foot of the stairs. I continue into the living room.

“Hey, there’s my favorite niece!” Aunt Kat says.

“What?” Mae yells furiously.

“Okay, my favorite niece who has a job.”

“I’ll settle for that.” I shrug, sitting down on the couch. The light must have caught my ring just right, because I see Aunt Kat’s eyes widen.

“What’s that on your hand, babe?” Anna asks, obviously having seen the brief sparkle as well.

“Oh, it’s just a little present from Collette,” I state, trying to inject an air of nonchalance into my voice. 

“Ah, from Collette, you say?” Aunt Kat seems intrigued. “And is there any certain reason she gave it to you?”

“She told me that she was only giving it to me because she loves me very much,” I reply, not giving Aunt Kat and Anna the answer they want. I’m trying to stall until Collette comes back downstairs. Thankfully, she does before anyone can ask more questions. I rush over to her and give her a quick kiss on the forehead before I lean down and whisper, “I tried to avoid explicitly telling them anything. I don’t know how well I did, though.”

“I’m sure you did just fine,” she whispers back. “But, let’s go ahead and tell them, okay?”

“Okay.” I turn to everyone else. “Uh, guys? Collette and I have an announcement.”

“What is it, Lizzie?” Aunt Kat asks, straightening her back.

“So, about a week ago, Collette took me to the park, and… well, she got down on one knee, pulled this-” I wiggle the fingers of my left hand- “out of her pocket…”

“And I asked her to marry me!” Collette finishes for me.

“Yes!” Aunt Kat shouts, crossing the room to give Mae a high five. “Anne, Cathy, time to pay up!”

“What’s happening?” I ask.

“We had a bet on which of you would propose to the other,” Anna explains, getting her wallet out of her bag. “Even Mary and Edward were in on it.”

“Speaking of Mary and Edward, how’s their little one? Surely they’ve been born by now.”

“Little  _ ones _ , you mean,” Aunt Kat says, taking a $20 bill from Anna. “Triplets, all girls. Carsen, Isley, and Veronica.”

“Sounds like Mary’s got her hands full, then,” Collette chuckles. “Anyway, how long has this bet been going on?”

“Since the New Years party,” Mom states, holding out a twenty to Mae.

Collette turns her gaze down and draws patterns on the floor with her foot. I feel my cheeks growing warmer. “You guys heard that?” I question, outraged.

“Yes, and now I’m scarred for life,” Mae mutters.

Mama puts a hand on my shoulder. “These walls are thin, honey.”

“Cath, d’you reckon we could put something together for these two tomorrow?” Mom asks, effectively changing the subject.

“Oh, I’m sure we could. A simple party, dinner and cake. Pictures, probably, and plenty of wine as well.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading! let me know if you wanna see more from this series! also, it would mean a lot to my friends and I if you checked out our original work, Welcome to the Wheat Field. you can also follow the wheat field @wheat.field.official on Instagram!


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